> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://pro-docs.bglobale.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # EU Right of Withdrawal - Merchant Setup Guide #### Overview From 19 June 2026, EU Directive 2023/2673 requires online traders to provide EU consumers with a visible, dedicated withdrawal mechanism that is as easy to use as the original purchase process. The 14-day right of withdrawal itself is not new - but merchants must now make it actively and easily accessible online. As your Merchant of Record for EU transactions, Global-e provides the withdrawal entry point across checkout, order confirmation, Service Center, confirmation emails, and the CS AI chatbot. This guide covers everything you need to configure on your side. There are two things to set up: * **Step 1 - Return Policy** * On the new returns platform? Go to [Section A](#al_UUID-e7f831a2-4b5c-4d6e-8f90-merchantsetup01_section-a) * On the legacy portal (not yet upgraded)? Go to [Section B](#al_UUID-e7f831a2-4b5c-4d6e-8f90-merchantsetup01_section-b) * **Step 2 - Emails** * Using Global-e Email Management? Go to [Section C1](#al_UUID-e7f831a2-4b5c-4d6e-8f90-merchantsetup01_section-c1) * Using Shopify Notification Emails? Go to [Section C2](#al_UUID-e7f831a2-4b5c-4d6e-8f90-merchantsetup01_section-c2) #### Managing EU Right of Withdrawal Requests The sections below (A and B) walk you through how to configure your return setup depending on which platform you use. Before getting started, note that certain product types are **not legally excluded** from withdrawal but cannot be processed through the standard returns portal - these require manual Customer Service handling regardless of which platform you are on. #### Product Types Not Supported in the Returns Portal The following product types are **not legally exempt** from the right of withdrawal - the right technically still exists - but they cannot be processed through the standard returns portal due to the nature of the product. Shoppers are directed to Customer Service. | Product Type | How It Is Handled | | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Dangerous goods | Right of Withdrawal legally still applies, but these items are blocked in the return portal. Shoppers are directed to Customer Service. | | Virtual goods / digital content | Right of Withdrawal can only be waived if the merchant obtained explicit prior consent at checkout. Without that consent, handled by Customer Service. | **Final-sale and non-returnable items - different situation** Unlike dangerous goods or virtual content, "final sale" and "non-returnable" are **merchant designations, not product-type exemptions**. Under EU law, these labels do not exempt items from the statutory right of withdrawal. The shoppers' right still exists and must be honored. If you're using the legacy portal, such items won't appear returnable in the portal. Handle the withdrawal manually via Customer Service and make sure your returns policy text reflects this correctly. ### This guide has two paths - find yours before you begin **New returns platform:** Global-e has pre-built a ready-to-use EU Right of Withdrawal policy in your account. You only need to activate it. Go to [Section A](#al_UUID-e7f831a2-4b5c-4d6e-8f90-merchantsetup01_section-a). **Legacy return portal (not yet upgraded):** There is no pre-built policy. A new return reason has been added to help you identify withdrawal requests, but eligibility validation and refund calculation are manual steps you own. Go to [Section B](#al_UUID-e7f831a2-4b5c-4d6e-8f90-merchantsetup01_section-b). *Not sure which platform you're on? Check with your Customer Success Manager.* #### Section A: Activating Your Return Policy (New Returns Platform) **Applies to:** Merchants already upgraded to the new returns platform. Global-e has pre-built the policy in your account - you only need to activate it. ### What's pre-built in your policy The `EU Right of Withdrawal` rule arrives pre-configured and is **inactive by default**. It is a new, additive rule - it runs alongside your existing return policy rules without modifying them. ##### Pre-configured Policy Settings | # | Setting | Pre-configured Value | | - | ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Eligibility window** | 14 days from delivery, scoped to EU destinations only. The countdown starts on the day of delivery; however, consumers can also withdraw before goods arrive. | | 2 | **Return reason** | "Order Withdrawal" - no follow-up questions, no media upload, no manual approval. | | 3 | **Resolution** | Refund to Original Payment Method only. Gift cards and exchange are disabled for this reason. | | 4 | **Refund composition** | Item price + collected duties & taxes (DDP orders only) + original outbound shipping fee. | | 5 | **Additional fees** | Restocking and return-handling fees are prohibited. Return shipping costs can be charged only if clearly disclosed before purchase; otherwise merchant covers it. | | 6 | **Confirmation email** | The legally required durable-medium acknowledgement is sent automatically when the RMA is created. | ##### Step 1 - Activate the Return Reason The `Order Withdrawal` return reason has been created in your platform and is hidden by default. Activate it so shoppers can select it in the withdrawal flow. 1. In your returns platform admin, go to **Settings > Return Reasons**. 2. Locate the return reason named **Order Withdrawal**. 3. Click the return reason to open it. 4. Toggle **Display reason** to **ON**. 5. Click the save icon. 6. Drag the new return reason to the top of your list. ##### Step 2 - Activate the Policy Rule 1. In your returns platform admin, go to **Settings > Return Policy**. 2. Locate the rule named **EU Right of Withdrawal**. 3. Click the rule to open it and review the pre-configured settings (optional but recommended). 4. Toggle **Activate Policy Rule** to **ON**. 5. Click the save icon. ##### Customizing the Policy - What You Can and Cannot Change **Do not remove these directive-required settings** The following must remain in the policy: the OPM-only resolution, the 14-day eligibility window, the EU country scope, and the refund of original outbound shipping. Removing any of these will put the configuration out of compliance with the directive. **Using final sale or non-returnable tags?** Make sure the EU Right of Withdrawal policy is not restricted by those tags. EU shoppers retain the statutory right of withdrawal regardless of how an item is tagged in your store. **Selling customizable or personalized goods?** Customized and personalized items are legally exempt from the right of withdrawal under Article 16 of the Consumer Rights Directive. If you sell such products, add an item-level exclusion condition to the EU Right of Withdrawal policy rule so those items are not eligible for withdrawal. Without this exclusion, personalized items may incorrectly appear eligible in the return portal. ##### Step 3 - Withdrawal Confirmation Email (Durable Medium) Article 11a requires that on receipt of the withdrawal request, you confirm it on a durable medium without undue delay. **The return platform sends this automatically** when creating the RMA under the policy - no action needed on your side. ##### Step 4 - Test the Full Flow End-to-End Before going live, run at least one full test on a sandbox or low-volume EU market: 1. Place a test order from an EU destination address. 2. Mark the order as fulfilled and delivered. 3. Open the Global-e Right of Withdrawal entry point (confirmation page, Help Center, or confirmation email). 4. Verify: items within 14 days are eligible; selecting Order Withdrawal triggers no follow-up question or photo upload; resolution shown is Refund to original payment method only; refund summary shows item price + tax + original outbound shipping - return label fee; a pre-paid label is generated; the shopper receives the acknowledgement email immediately after submitting. 5. Confirm in the RMA page that the request was auto-approved. 6. Submit a second test RMA using a non-withdrawal reason (e.g. "Didn't fit") and confirm it matches your existing return policy rule, not the new EU Withdrawal rule. #### Section B: Handling Withdrawals on the Legacy Return Portal **Applies to:** Merchants selling to the EU who are still on the legacy return portal (not yet upgraded to the new returns platform). **What's New** A new return reason, **"EU Shoppers - Order Withdrawal"**, now appears in the legacy return portal's reason list. The name leads with the region tag to signal it is intended for EU shoppers exercising their statutory right of withdrawal, and discourage non-EU shoppers from selecting it. **Using a custom return reason list?** If your return portal is configured with a custom return reason list, this reason will not appear automatically - it is only added to the platform-wide generic reason list. Please contact your Customer Success Manager to have it added to your custom list. **Important limitations - please read before proceeding** 1. The "EU Shoppers - Order Withdrawal" reason is **shown to all shoppers**, regardless of country or delivery date. The legacy portal cannot restrict it to EU shoppers or to the 14-day window. The reason name is the only deterrent. 2. Selecting the "EU Shoppers - Order Withdrawal" reason **does not automatically change the refund**. It is purely an identification flag. **You are responsible for validating eligibility and issuing the correct refund.** 3. **Early-refund** - The legacy portal's early-refund will NOT add the original outbound shipping fee. It must be refunded as a separate manual step outside the portal. **What to Do When a Return Comes In with "EU Shoppers - Order Withdrawal"** 1. Check the shopper's destination country - confirm it is an EU member state (the reason is not country-restricted in the portal). 2. Check the return window - the request must be within 14 days of delivery. 3. If both conditions are met, the withdrawal is valid. Issue a refund that includes: item price + collected duties and taxes (DDP orders only) + original outbound shipping fee (standard rate only - if the shopper selected express or premium shipping, only the standard rate is required). Restocking and return-handling fees may NOT be charged. Return shipping cost may only be charged to the shopper if clearly disclosed before purchase; otherwise, you cover it. 4. Action the additional refund (duties/tax + outbound shipping) via Global-e Admin, Shopify Admin, or the Refund API. **If Your Returns Flow Is Already Automated** If your OMS or WMS already processes returns automatically, you can map the "EU Shoppers - Order Withdrawal" reason to trigger your own EU + 14-day validation and automatically issue the full refund (item + duties & taxes + outbound shipping) via the Refund API. **Upgrading to the new returns platform** - The legacy return portal will be retired by end of 2026. All merchants are required to complete the upgrade before then. After upgrading, you will have a pre-built EU Right of Withdrawal policy scoped to EU shoppers within 14 days of delivery - it automatically calculates the correct refund and sends the durable-medium confirmation with no manual steps required. If your upgrade is already scheduled, please complete it as soon as possible. #### Section C: Adding the Withdrawal Link to Your Emails Complete the section below that matches how you send order emails to EU shoppers. #### C1 - Global-e Custom Email Tool (Email Management) **Applies to:** Merchants using Global-e's Custom Email Tool (Email Management) to send order emails. **Prerequisites:** Email Management active for your account; basic HTML editing skills. **Path:** Global-e Merchant Portal → Configuration → Email Management **Email types to update:** Order Confirmed · Order Dispatched · Order Dispatched Partially · Order Delivered to Store Repeat Steps 2-9 below for **each** of the four email types listed above. 1. **Step 1: Open Email Management** - Log in to the Global-e Merchant Portal → Configuration → Email Management. 2. **Step 2: Select the Email Type** - Use the Email Type dropdown to pick one. 3. **Step 3: Download the Current HTML** - Template (HTML) → Download Current. Save the .html file and open it in your HTML editor. 4. **Step 4: Download Text Resources (Optional)** - To translate the link label to other languages: Text Resources (Excel) → Download Current. Add a new line with `ResourceKey` = `TR_withdrawal_label` and `English - United Kingdom` = `Withdraw this order` (or your preferred label). Add translations to the required language columns. 5. **Step 5: Edit the HTML** - The placeholder `WithdrawalUrl` is filled dynamically by Global-e per order. Place the following code in the **footer area** of your email template: ``` {{#WithdrawalUrl}}

{{TR_withdrawal_label}}

{{/WithdrawalUrl}} ``` Do NOT remove MoR legal text. Do NOT use a hardcoded URL instead of the `WithdrawalUrl` placeholder. 6. **Step 6: Upload the HTML** - Template (HTML) → Upload New\... → your edited file. If you changed Text Resources, upload the Excel file too. 7. **Step 7: Save Draft and Preview** - Stay in Draft → Save Changes → Preview an Order using an EU ship-to Order ID. Check both Desktop and Mobile previews. 8. **Step 8: Send Test Email** - Send Test → your inbox. Click the withdrawal link and verify it works. 9. **Step 9: Publish** - Publish / Publish Changes → Confirm **Published** for that email type. 10. **Step 10: Repeat** - Repeat Steps 2-9 for all four email types listed above. #### C2 - Shopify Notification Emails **Applies to:** Shopify merchants who manage their own notification emails (not using Global-e email templates). **Prerequisites:** Shopify Admin access; basic HTML editing skills; your withdrawal page URL (provided by your CSM for Global-e Retail, or from your external return vendor). **Email types to update:** Order confirmation · Shipping confirmation · Shipping update · Delivery confirmation (if applicable) 1. **Step 1: Open Shopify Email Templates** - Shopify Admin → Settings → Notifications → Customer notifications → Select the email to edit. 2. **Step 2: Select Email Type and Edit Code** - Select the email type template, then click **Edit code**. 3. **Step 3: Add Withdrawal Code at the Top of the File** - Choose **one** of the two options below and paste it at the very top of the file. **Option A - Show link for all orders (simpler)** ``` {% comment %} Merchant-provided withdrawal URL {% endcomment %} {% assign withdrawal_url = 'https://YOUR-WITHDRAWAL-URL-HERE' %} {% assign withdrawal_label = 'Withdraw this order' %} {% assign show_withdrawal_link = true %} ``` Replace `https://YOUR-WITHDRAWAL-URL-HERE` with your withdrawal page URL. Global-e Retail solution (new or legacy portal): your CSM will provide this link. External return vendor: use the withdrawal link from your vendor. **Option B - Show link for EU countries only (recommended)** ``` {% comment %} Withdrawal-right countries (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2). Maintain as one comma-separated list. {% endcomment %} {% assign withdrawal_country_codes = 'DE,FR,IT' | split: ',' %} {% comment %} Merchant-provided withdrawal URL {% endcomment %} {% assign withdrawal_url = 'https://YOUR-WITHDRAWAL-URL-HERE' %} {% assign withdrawal_label = 'Withdraw this order' %} {% comment %} Prefer shipping country; fall back to billing (digital/no-ship orders) {% endcomment %} {% assign customer_country = shipping_address.country_code %} {% if customer_country == blank %} {% assign customer_country = billing_address.country_code %} {% endif %} {% assign show_withdrawal_link = false %} {% if customer_country != blank and withdrawal_country_codes contains customer_country %} {% assign show_withdrawal_link = true %} {% endif %} ``` Replace the example country codes (DE, FR, IT) with all EU countries you sell to. Full list: AT, BE, BG, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LI, LT, LU, LV, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, XI. 4. **Step 4: Add the Link to the Email Footer** - This section is the same for both options. 1. Search for `footer__cell` in the template. 2. Inside the footer, after `disclaimer__subtext`, add the following code: ``` {% if show_withdrawal_link and withdrawal_url != blank %}
{{ withdrawal_label }}
{% endif %} ``` 5. **Step 5: Save and Repeat** - Click **Save**. Repeat Steps 1-4 for all four email types listed above. **Testing Checklist** | Check | Done | | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---- | | EU ship-to order: link appears in email | ☐ | | Non-EU order: link does not appear (Option B) or appears (Option A) | ☐ | | Link opens correct withdrawal page | ☐ | | All four email types updated | ☐ | #### Frequently Asked Questions **Do I need to build the policy from scratch?** No. Global-e has pre-built the EU Right of Withdrawal rule in your return platform. It is inactive by default - all you need to do is activate it. **Will this change anything for non-EU shoppers?** No. The pre-built policy is scoped to EU customer locations only. All other shoppers continue to follow your existing return policy rules unchanged. **What happens to EU items returned outside the 14-day window?** They fall outside the Withdrawal policy rule and will be matched against your existing return policy (e.g. your regular 30-day return policy). No change. **Can I customize the pre-built policy?** Yes - the pre-built rule is fully editable. Be careful not to remove the settings required by the directive: the OPM-only resolution, the 14-day eligibility window, the EU country scope, and the refund of original outbound shipping. **Are "final sale" or non-returnable items exempt from the Right of Withdrawal?** No. Under EU consumer law, labelling an item as "final sale" or tagging an order as "non-returnable" does not exempt it from the statutory 14-day Right of Withdrawal. Make sure the EU Right of Withdrawal policy is not restricted by those tags. **Can I keep charging a restocking fee on withdrawals?** No. Under Directive (EU) 2023/2673 you may only retain the direct cost of returning the goods (the return label fee). Restocking deductions on a clean withdrawal are not allowed. **Do I need to enable this for every EU country separately?** No. The pre-built policy covers every EU country. If your return label cost varies materially per country, you can duplicate the rule and scope each copy to specific countries. **Will this conflict with my existing return policy rules?** No. The Withdrawal rule is additive and will only match when all three eligibility conditions are met: EU location AND within 14 days of delivery AND reason = Order Withdrawal. **What if I want to disable this entirely?** Toggle Activate Policy Rule OFF on the EU Right of Withdrawal rule (Settings > Return Policy). Note: the customer-facing withdrawal link in checkout, confirmation page, email, and Help Center will continue to display as Global-e remains subject to the directive. #### Need Help? * Return platform documentation (Shopify): [New Returns Portal for Shopify](/new-returns-portal-for-shopify) * Return platform documentation (other platforms): [New Returns Portal for Other Platforms](/new-returns-portal-for-all-platforms--excluding-shopify-) * Open a support ticket: [Escalating an Existing Ticket](/contact-us) * For Global-e-side questions (withdrawal link placement, MOR obligations, scope of the directive), contact your Global-e account manager or Customer Success Manager. #### Legal Disclaimer This article is intended to help you configure your return platform in a way that supports compliance with Directive (EU) 2023/2673 and its national transpositions. It is **not legal advice**. Certain aspects of this directive remain legally unsettled, with no definitive guidance available as of yet. The configurations described reflect Global-e's current interpretation and operational approach, and should not be relied upon as a statement of law. The right of withdrawal is implemented through national law in each EU member state, and additional or differing local requirements may apply. We strongly recommend reviewing your final configuration with your own legal counsel before going live.